Posts By Debe Campbell

People in the news 5.3.19

Cody Blumenthal

Cody Blumenthal was selected to play on the Maccabi USA Youth Men’s Basketball Team for the 14th Pan American Maccabi Games July 5-15 in Mexico City. Playing 16 games as a sophomore guard for Catalina Foothills High School varsity Falcons this season, he averaged 11.4 points per game and… Read more »

Grant boosts local efforts to aid migrants

The Tucson community's abundant generosity is evidenced at this drop location at the old Benedictine Monastery. Donations also are being collected at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. (Photo: Debe Campbell/AJP)

Updated May 6 The Jewish and greater Tucson communities routinely step up and volunteer to meet the needs of migrant families passing through the Old Pueblo. In the past eight months, Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Jewish Community Relations Council has provided roughly 750 hot meals at shelters housing… Read more »

Community forum explores immigration policies, experiences

The panel of speakers at the April 12 annual local leaders’ forum, which focused on immigration, (L-R): Enrique Gómez Montiel, Peris Lopez, Fernando Najera, Rebecca Curtiss, Antar Davidson, and moderator Nancy Montoya. (Photo: Debe Campbell/AJP)

As Tucson grapples with a continuing influx of Central American migrants seeking asylum, and the community responds with shelter, food, and clothing, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish History Museum focused their annual local leaders’ forum on the immigration issue. The event… Read more »

Yom Hazikaron event to remember the fallen

Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s official Memorial Day dedicated to fallen soldiers and victims of terror, will be observed in Tucson on Tuesday, May 7 with song and remembrances at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 6:30-8 p.m. Enacted into Israeli law in 1963, Yom Hazikaron traditionally is observed by the sounding… Read more »

Festivities will focus on children, families

Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona serves the whole community and all ages. (Photo courtesy Jewish Family & Children’s Services)

Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona is hosting a free, family-friendly event, “Celebration of Caring for Tucson’s Children” on Sunday, May 19, from 12-3 p.m. at the Scottish Rite, 160 S. Scott Ave. Children of all ages are welcome. There will be food and music for parents… Read more »

Broadening our scope: Trends in millennial giving

Graham Hoffman

We may find it convenient to believe that because young adults in our community are not exhibiting the same historically Jewish behaviors as their parents, they do not feel a strong connection to Jewish life. Nevertheless, consistently, when polled, millennial Jews report having strong, positive feelings about being Jewish.… Read more »

Nissel lecture to explore meanings behind Holocaust melody, ‘I Believe’

Rabbi Menachem Nissel

Congregation Chofetz Chayim and the Southwest Torah Institute will host author, educator and historian Rabbi Menachem Nissel at a fundraiser Sunday, May 5 at 5:30 p.m. Nissel will present “Messiah: What We Believe, Why We Believe.” “This topic holds so much meaning for me,” says Rabbi Israel Becker, explaining… Read more »

Cool kosher choices available in Tucson

In the Post’s article regarding kosher establishments in Tucson, “As city’s only kosher market closes, Tucsonans get creative in search for products” (AJP 4/19/19),  I wanted to bring to your attention another establishment under kosher certification, which has been proudly serving the Jewish community for the past seven years.… Read more »

YMG poker tournament proceeds benefit Homer Davis Elementary School kids

(L-R): Ben Silverman, Steve Landau, Scott Goorman and Andrew Isaac play a hand at the JFSA Young Men’s Group Poker Tournament, April 21. (Photo Damion Alexander)

Mike Wexler reigned over the Young Men’s Group Poker Tournament April 21. Other top finishers, in order of rank, were Peter DeLuca, Josh Silverman, Myles Levine, and Mckenzie Carlat. Fifty players raised $1,800 at the event for “Making a Difference Every Day: The Homer Davis Project.” Proceeds will provide… Read more »

Or Chadash Sisterhood honors Saboda

(L-R) Missy Driggers, Kathylynn Saboda, Pearl Joseph, Emily Joseph, Rabbi Thomas Louchheim, and Cantor Janece Cohen at Congregation Or Chadash on April 14 (Courtesy Congregation Or Chadash)

The Sisterhood of Congregation Or Chadash honored Kathylynn Saboda as its first Eshet Or (Woman of Light) at a luncheon and end of year meeting on Sunday, April 14. Saboda served as Sisterhood president in 2004. She served on the congregation’s board of directors from 2005-2008; since 2008 she… Read more »

Invisible Theatre’s Project Pastime to present musical

Invisible Theatre Managing Artistic Director Susan Claassen, left (in hat) and Pastime Players students and teachers at their 2018 performance at Doolen Middle School. (Photo courtesy Invisible Theatre)

The Invisible Theatre’s Pastime Players, an award-winning, multi-disciplinary arts education program for mentally and physically challenged students, will present a free performance of “The Me Inside of Me” on Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at Doolen Middle School, 2400 N. Country Club Road. Pastime Players started as a… Read more »

Edith Muhlrad

Edith N. Muhlrad, 95, died April 12, 2019. Mrs. Muhlrad was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 12, 1923. She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Norbert F. Muhlrad; and sisters, Sara Joffe and Anne Cook. Survivors include her children, David Muhlrad and Cindi… Read more »

Israeli partners connect with Tucson peers; Passover preparations begin

(L-R): Marlyne Freedman, Steve Silverman, Stuart Mellan (Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona president and CEO), Shelly Silverman (JFSA board chair), Hila Yogev-Keren (Partnership2Gether director), Hila Kordana, Vered Hengali-Maschiach, Deborah Oseran (incoming JFSA board chair), Isaac Amar, Shneor Katash, Edit Asor, Yedidya Green, and Steve Caine at a post-budget meeting dinner at the Silverman home [Oshrat Barel)

Reciprocal hospitality The Weintraub Israel Center’s Partnership2Gether Israeli and Tucson teams gathered here March 3-8 for the P2G 2019-20 annual budget meeting. Since 1996, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona has participated in P2G, a Jewish Agency for Israel program connecting Jewish communities around the world.  One year the… Read more »

People in the news, 4.19.19

Bella Wexler, a sophomore at Catalina Foothills High School, has earned a scholarship from the U.S. State Department to study in Xiamen, China, this summer. She will study Mandarin in the State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth, a language-immersion program. Wexler is a member of the Jewish-Latino… Read more »

Business briefs 4.19.19

Edlin Nunez

The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona has appointed Edlin Nunez as its new administrative services manager. A native Tucsonan, she is a graduate of Grand Canyon University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has spent her career serving with community-based organizations, including seven years with CODAC Health, Recovery… Read more »

As city’s only kosher market closes, Tucsonans get creative in search for products

Kosher for Passover dairy products are displayed at a Tucson Albertsons supermarket on April 5. (Facebook)

Six months ago, Jesse Davis and his wife, Melissa, began keeping a kosher home. They were prompted by their two oldest daughters, pupils at Tucson Hebrew Academy, who took the school’s kosher cooking class and came home with “a million and one questions,” says Davis, a teacher at Temple… Read more »